The Republican journal., 1887-01-20
"Spotters" in Disgrace.

0pObGO1S Ill DlSS ldCos
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: have
no desire to make undue demands upon your
space; neither would give foundation to the
charge of perpetually playing Oh one string.
Since last April have sent you several COM
munications referring to temperance matters
in Rhode Island. So rapidly have some of my
prophecies been fulfilled AS to recall an incident
of my youth: Some twenty years ago | was
deputiZed by my father to drive his two pigs to
a neighbors, that they might be slaughtered
with other animals. | remember that late in the
afternoon, just as the butchers had finished
dressing the last porker, Mr.. j visited
the scene of operations. Nothing remained to
do but carry away the carcasses. As this
work commenced some one suggested they
should be weighed. Mr.. j guessed upon
the first one going to the scales. His estimate
was the only correct one given. He was high
ly complimented and solicited to try again.
After surveying the animal from various
points he made the second guess. 1t was wide
ly at variance with the opinions of his neigh
borS, but the scales settled the matter by con-
tirming his judgment. to the surprise of ALL
hen the third pOrker was lowered Mr.. j
seemed 10th to hazard the reputation so sudden
ly acquired. He was urged to place his figures,
but for long time failed to do so. To facilitate
matters he was conducted to the cellar hard
by and generously treated to ''sound cider"
Emboldened by this advertisement he finally es-
astoundcd at the result which was within Il
pound of the record given by the scales. Moth
ing could tempt the infalble J--to approx
innate the avoirddpois of the two remaining
pigs. Possibly should emulate his example,
but for the present am disposed to do other
wise.
You have recently published nv remarks up
on the Barnes Boys" who gained so wide
celebrity for their success i'm ''spottng'
liquor dealers. Had waited few days long
er there would have been little need of proph-
esying their mercenary motives. These self
convicted pcrjurers and blackmailers are now
fu@itive> from justice, not daring to place their
feet upon their native soil. | said they were
missing when their evidence was called for.
that they We're in Chicago, and that report crc'-
ited them with receiving handsome sum for
going thither. But on their return they >wore
before the Courts in the city of Newport that
they had been paid no money for going, and
that they made no overtures to, nor had deal
ngs with, the liquor sellers under arraiynmcnt.
This the dealers pronounced to he perjury.
They swore that their agent. one Baxter. had
accompanied the MeSSrS. Barnes to Chicago
and there paid them 5000, the sum previous
ly agreed upon as the price of their absence
from the trials. Finding that the nefariouS de-
tectives We're bound to increase their receipts
to the highest possible point. the liquor men
began negotiations to buy them of the second
time. Accordingly place of meeting was an
ranged in Prov ,lcnce, and under cover of dark
ness the Barnes brothers came to the appoint-
ell spot. They were preceded by three report
er> who >ecreted themselves in small room
adjoining the larger apartment of the store
house where the business was to be transacted
During the long wait the eager ncw>yatherS
nearly succumbed to the piercing cold. but up
on entrance of the principal actors this ncon-
venence was forgotten. Business at once be
gan by the dealers inquiring what arrange
mentS the Barnes boys had to propose. They
a.. M 81.
leave the State and never return. At this
point Baxter drew attention to the fact that he
was under a cloud. IIe had reported to the
men giving him the money that he paid the
same to the Barnes brothers at Chicago. The
recipients had testified under oath that they
did not receive any Of this money. He wished
to be placed right in the eyes of those who had
trusted in hiln. Upon this the Barnes boys ar
knowledged that they received the entire sum
at the time and place stated by Baxter. and
volunteered the opinion that he was tile
>quare>t man i'll the world.'' Then the dealers
announced that they would trust Baxter again
and requested him to accompany the boys to
>omc distant state. This the agent declined to
do unless he had some guarantee that the spot
tiers" would remain cut of Rhode Island: they
had dupei him once. He insisted that the boy :
must ign paper before any money was paid
them. that something elective could be done
to discount their testimony should they reap
pear i'll violation of the contract. The boys adj
mittcd that they had acted i'll Il shabby manner,
but wished to get the money before signing.
The dealers pointed to the fact that they had
acted in good faith in the eyiollS transaction ::
the boys should have confidence in them now
and 81 gu the document which Baxter present.
ed. Daring the argument the Barnes brothers
admitted all the dealers claimed, some of which
confessions made the ears of the seeing but un-
seen reporters tinglc far more than the fryl
atmosphere. Calm" the dealers lucky men
W ln uil he, hay
pleased the ">pnttcrs" signed the paper, Of
which the following is an exact copy:
We hereby acknowledge and confess that we,
the undersigned, engaged III ttte business of OBJ
tanning evidence of Illegal sale and keeping for
sale liquor and nuisance eases for the purpose of
making money i'll many cases manufactured tc>ti-
mony wherein had evidence, and that in
the ease OF -, testified to hy It's, did not "li-
tain any evidence. WEiic it il, that in many
cases we did obtain evidence against parties who
had right to sell. in the of the above
named did not obtain any evidence of
Illegal sale or keeping for sale liquor nui~;tnccs.
but 1t was job put up by Us to enlarge our fees.
WALDO T. BARNES. .ir.
THEODORE ;. BARNES.
Witnesses-Itrick W. Baxter, T.. III. lIuryu, 7.
Nolan, Joseph Wilkinson.
The party now adjourned to the house close
by, and the three witnesses who had not signed
as such crawed from their place of conceal
ment almost >tGpetied by the exhibition of
corruption and malicious perjury. The Barnes
until the following day. This they could not
do; they wanted the money Immediately. From
some cause il did not come. The persons who
had gone after il failed to appear, hut Il police
man did and his pause opposite the house added
to the nervousness of the .'>pottcr>." The
suspense at leuyth became intoIerabe Fear
Ing they would be arrested for perjury they
turned their backs to the expected checks of
$1,000 each and ran through the back yard.
Over the fence and away to 4 stable Went the
fugitive ''reformerS.' A sleigh was procured
under assumed names. then came Il drive of
thirteen miles. when they boarded the mid
night train for New York, which soon whirlcl
them from the State that had witnessed their
shameful and illegal acts. Their present place
of refuge is unknown. \ writ has been sworn
out for their apprehension. They may yet
feel the dignity of Courts before wh"n they
have convicted innocent persons of crime.
Had [ not condemned the Sa stem of ''>pot-
ting in my last correspondence, temptation
would arise to 90 over the ground with re-
newed vigor. This method OF fighting Illicit
rum>elln% was inauguratcd in Rhode Island
under the early Maine law oVcrthirty Years ;co.
Men of character and integrity then pursued
more honorable tactics. and occasionally they
succeeded in conyicting illegal sellers; but after
fair trial it was concluded that more effect
i've means might be emploNed, the advocates of
which would not be called upon to blush when
their acts We're revealed. Since those days the
scum of humanity has been pressed into SER
vice, until within two months of this writing
jury men have been excused by the Court be-
cause they would not accept the testimony Of
''Spotters' under oath.
Subsequent to the flight of the Barnes boys
another "Spotter" has failed to appear in Court
when his evidence was called for. 1t matters
little what excuse is given for his absence.
Conservative temperance workers do not mourn
the loss of such persons. Those who admire
more manly avenues of attack feel that the
cause is all the stronger when temptations for
cupidty are removed. Decentralization of the
people of this State has gone far enough: we
want no more lying. sneaking hypocriteS pos
ing before the public "Christian detectives
of filth and end their career of usefulness as
criminals before laws which they We're assumed
to uphold.
In contemplating the picture Of a State with
sef-government removed. with high >alared
Chief to supervise the police of the common
wealth and failing most lamentably i'll his task,
the Providence journal concludes an editorial
as follows:
''What next? Common sense. and common
Justice, it is to be hoped. This miserable sham
and disgrace will not permanently affect any
reasonable persons mind. 1t was what should
have been expected. and was foreseen by many.
The temperance cause stands precisely where
it stood before, and it is evidence of its
righteousness that it can outlivc in the hearts
and purpose of the people, such enemies as
the Chief and the Barnes boys"
This simply corroborates my previous eX-
presSiUnS that we are on the eve of battle
rather than in condition to celebrate Il victory
over the rum power.
NJ. NJ. REYNOLDS.
DayiSyillp Dec nOth. 1856.